Rose Davenport v. Urban Home Ownership Corp., Paul Moore; Tijuana Huggins; Kiara Rivera; Barbara Greaves

District Court, S.D. New York·Decided March 25, 2026·No. 1:26-cv-02065·Unknown

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK ROSE DAVENPORT, Plaintiff, 26-CV-2065 (LLS) -against- URBAN HOME OWNERSHIP CORP., PAUL ORDER OF DISMISSAL MOORE; TIJUANA HUGGINS; KIARA WITH LEAVE TO REPLEAD RIVERA; BARBARA GREAVES, Defendants. LOUIS L. STANTON, United States District Judge: Plaintiff, who is proceeding pro se, brings this action concerning requests for reasonable accommodations made on behalf of her adult children with disabilities, Darryle Davenport (“Mr. Davenport”) and Lanise Davenport (“Ms. Davenport”), under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), the Rehabilitation Act, the Fair Housing Act (“FHA”), and 42 U.S.C. § 1983. She alleges that Defendants, who maintain and administer federally subsidized housing in which Mr. and Ms. Davenport live, fail to accommodate their disabilities. Plaintiff names as defendants: (1) Urban Home Ownership Corp.; (2) Paul Moore, CEO and owner; (3) Tijuana Huggins, property manager; (4) Kiara Rivera, housing specialist; and (5) Barbara Greaves, vice president. She also filed an applications for the court to request pro bono counsel to represent her. (ECF No. 4.) By separate order, the Court granted Plaintiff’s request to proceed in forma pauperis (“IFP”), that is, without prepayment of fees. For the following reasons, the Court dismisses the complaint, with 30 days’ leave to replead and denies her application for the court to request counsel, without prejudice to renewal at a later date. STANDARD OF REVIEW The Court must dismiss an IFP complaint, or portion thereof, that is frivolous or malicious, fails to state a claim on which relief may be granted, or seeks monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B); see Livingston v. Adirondack Beverage Co., 141 F.3d 434, 437 (2d Cir. 1998). The Court must also dismiss a

complaint when the Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(h)(3). While the law mandates dismissal on any of these grounds, the Court is obliged to construe pro se pleadings liberally, Harris v. Mills, 572 F.3d 66, 72 (2d Cir. 2009), and interpret them to raise the “strongest [claims] that they suggest,” Triestman v. Fed. Bureau of Prisons, 470 F.3d 471, 474 (2d Cir. 2006) (internal quotation marks and citations omitted). Rule 8 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure requires a complaint to make a short and plain statement showing that the pleader is entitled to relief. A complaint states a claim for relief if the claim is plausible. Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678-79 (2009) (citing Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007)). To review a complaint for plausibility, the Court accepts all well-pleaded factual allegations as true and draws all reasonable inferences in the pleader’s

favor. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678-79 (citing Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555). The Court need not accept, however, “[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action,” which are essentially legal conclusions. Id. at 678 (citing Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555). After separating legal conclusions from well-pleaded factual allegations, the court must determine whether those facts make it plausible – not merely possible – that the pleader is entitled to relief. Id. BACKGROUND The following facts are drawn from the complaint.1 Plaintiff brings this action “arising from Defendants’ conduct in administering federally subsidized housing [and] refusing reasonable accommodations for disabled tenants,” namely, her adult children. (ECF No. 1, at 5.) She explains that Mr. Davenport “is an individual with disabilities . . . that substantially limit

major life activities, including his ability to read, write, process information, and understand complex written communications.” (Id.) As a result of these impairments, Mr. Davenport “has significant difficulties when understanding legal documents, housing recertification requirements, and communications related to his tenancy and housing rights.” (Id.) Ms. Davenport is “an individual [with] mental health impairments that substantially limit her life [and] abilities to process or comprehend information such as understanding legal terms, housing[-]related requirements, and communicating effectively regarding matters related to her tenancy[.]” (Id.) Both Mr. and Ms. Davenport “will experience ongoing mental health challenges that affect their abilities to independently navigate complicated legal [and] housing procedures.” (Id.

at 6.) Plaintiff continues: Darryle and Lanise request a reasonable accommodation that would allow [Plaintiff] to assist them with supportive resources [and] services as supportive advocate. These accommodations were requested so they could receive assistance [with] their affairs with housing court appearances, court filings, recertifications, repairs, HRA [and] outside agencies when needed, ensuring that their right under federal housing law are protected. (Id.) Plaintiff adds that Mr. and Ms. Davenport have requested these accommodations from Defendants, who denied them. (Id.)

1 The Court quotes from the complaint verbatim. All spelling, grammar, and punctuation are as in the original unless noted otherwise. Plaintiff requests an order: (1) directing Defendants to provide reasonable accommodations to her adult children and recognize her as “an approved support person and advocate to assist them in housing, legal, and administrative matters [related to] their tenancy”; (2) requiring Defendants “to correct and fully disclose all housing records, rent ledgers, [and]

subsidies calculations”; (3) prohibiting Defendants from “engaging in further retaliation, discrimination, or interference [with] rights of the disabled tenants”; (4) directing Defendants to “recognize $1500 paid for relocation fee during unihabitable living in 2018 for 18-20 months be granted; and (5) monetary relief. (Id. at 5-6.) DISCUSSION A. Claims on behalf of others Ordinarily, non-attorney litigants such as Plaintiff are prohibited from bringing litigation on behalf of other persons. Instead, as nonlawyers, unrepresented plaintiffs can represent only their own interests. See 28 U.S.C. § 1654; U.S. ex rel. Mergent Servs. v. Flaherty, 540 F.3d 89, 92 (2d Cir. 2008) (“[A]n individual who is not licensed as an attorney may not appear on another person’s behalf in the other’s cause.”) (internal quotation marks omitted)); Eagle Assocs. v. Bank

of Montreal, 926 F.2d 1305, 1308 (2d Cir. 1991) (noting that § 1654 “allow[s] for two types of representation: ‘that by an attorney admitted to the practice of law by a governmental regulatory body and that by a person representing himself.’” (quoting Turner v. American Bar Ass’n, 407 F. Supp. 451, 477 (N.D. Tex. 1975), aff'd sub nom. Pilla v.

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Rose Davenport v. Urban Home Ownership Corp., Paul Moore; Tijuana Huggins; Kiara Rivera; Barbara Greaves, (S.D.N.Y. 2026).

Rose Davenport v. Urban Home Ownership Corp., Paul Moore; Tijuana Huggins; Kiara Rivera; Barbara Greaves (Rose Davenport v. Urban Home Ownership Corp., Paul Moore; Tijuana Huggins; Kiara Rivera; Barbara Greaves) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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